Writing Prompt: What’s going on in this picture?

When I was a freshman in high school, my English class hosted a student teacher for a few weeks. She was a young, very pretty woman with fair skin and that kind of brown hair that can be called ‘mousy’, but might actually be closer to the color of tea and milk. One day, she asked us to write a Picture Poem. The idea was to find an image from a magazine that resonated with us, and to use that image to help us create a poem.  

I don’t remember the poem I ended up writing for this assignment, but I do remember the picture I chose. In it, a woman with red hair sat on a wooden bench. The sun was shining down on her, and she was looking away from the camera. I think I wrote something about love (all my poems were about love at that time because like many teenaged girls, I had grand romantic, if not very accurate, ideas about it).

The other thing I remember is this: That young, pretty, mousy haired student teacher praised my poem. In fact, she shared it with the class. It was the first time a piece of my writing had been singled out, and looking back, I think it was the moment I realized how much I loved to write, that writing connected me to a deep part of my soul.

So here’s your writing prompt: Flip through a magazine or scan the internet, looking at interesting pictures. The website Unsplash has some amazing photos! Then, study the picture and ask yourself: What do I imagine is going on here? What story lives behind this snapshot in time?

You can go deep, and write a whole story. You can be brief but tender, and write a simple one stanza poem. You could write a letter to the person in the picture. The format is up to you.

My final idea for you is this: Think about the people who have encouraged you to write. Your devoted readers. Your cheerleaders. Those teachers who told you that you had a gift. And thank them. Thank them for seeing you as a Writer.

My grandfather was a voracious cheerleader of my own writing life. Every time I saw him, he would ask if I was writing. I have an old birthday card from him that’s taped to the front of the notebook that holds the novel I am currently writing. And all it says is this, in large, dramatic letters: “Write! Write! Write! Ya! Write!”

So I do. I will. For myself. For my soul. And because my grandfather would have wanted me to.

Thanks for reading.

Beth

September: Things I’m Liking

This is the first in a new series I thought I’d try out: A monthly list of “things I’m currently liking”. I’m always on the lookout for good book, podcast, tv show, or movie recommendations (or even beauty products, workouts, or food ideas). So, I thought I’d drop in once a month to give you my top picks for that particular season of life. Here we go, for the month of September:

1) The podcast “Ten Things to Tell You” with Laura Tremaine. I heard about this show because Laura is a friend of the actress Jenna Fischer, whom I follow on Instagram. Jenna recommended this podcast recently, and I’ve been hooked for the last couple weeks. On the show, Laura gives journal prompts that get you thinking in new ways about many aspects of life, from how you deal with anxiety, to who you expected yourself to be when you ‘grew up’. Laura is also a huge reader, and I love the episodes of this podcast where she gives her book recommendations or does an author deep dive, like in this episode about Judy Blume (I’m in for any podcast that discusses Judy Blume).

2) Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. I’ve been getting on my soap box lately when I tell people that I’m reading this book, because I get the sense that people think they’ve read Little Women because the 1990s movie with Winona Ryder made the story so familiar. I also get the sense that people think this book is a children’s book, which simply isn’t true. Alcott actually published Little Women in two parts, because she wanted to see how well received the first ‘book’ would be. Well, of course it did well, and she went on to write the second half of the March family story. The style of writing in these two halves is distinctly different. The first part, when the girls are younger and their father still at war, could probably be read to children. The language is simpler and more accessible. The second part, however, is much more dense. Alcott almost seems more interested in playing with words than with telling a story, though the story is still deeply moving and tender and true to life. I’ll leave it there, but just let me say: if you have not read this book, I highly recommend you do, even if you already know the story.

3) Getting up an hour earlier. This last recommendation is one I’ve only implemented in the past week, and I’ll readily admit that it’s not an easy thing to do. Why am I getting up at 5 a.m. instead of 6 on weekdays? Sometimes I ask myself that very question. I suppose the answer is this: By getting up an hour earlier, I’m giving myself the gift of time. I spend that extra hour working out (so I don’t have to at the end of the day when my legs are already exhausted) or reading, or writing (so that I feel like I actually DO have time to nurture those things I want more of). Plus, did you know how peaceful the morning can be, when you’re the only one awake and the kitchen is warm and smells like coffee and the cat is happy to see you? I think God is happy to see me on those early mornings. I think he’s glad I made the effort.

Well, that’s it for the September edition of “things I’m liking right now”. Take what works for you. Leave the rest.

For You: What’s something you’re liking right now? Do you have recommendations for me? Leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading.

Beth